Jobless rate holds steady in Pierce County; more jobs added

The Pierce County unemployment rate was unchanged in November from October, but at least the county added several hundred jobs in the same period, according to jobless data released Monday by the state Employment Security Department.

The county’s jobless rate remained at 7.4 percent, but the county added 400 jobs net in the October to November period, regional economist Jim Vleming said.

The county experienced big gains in hiring tied to the holiday shopping season — 900 jobs in retail trade — but other industries showed smaller gains or steep declines, including construction, which shed 1,600 jobs, a reflection of the seasonal nature of construction work.

The county’s jobless rate in November 2012 was 8 percent, the data show.

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